HD

HD is a paid additional program offering in high definition quality ( HD) on the digital satellite platform of HD PLUS GmbH, a subsidiary of the satellite operator SES.
About HD 20 private TV stations can be received in HD quality (as of April 2014).
HD extends the basic encryption of high-definition TV programs to a digital rights management.
Cost of television programs can thereby be settled according to different models with the user.
Recording, time-shift viewing, and on- forwarding or rewinding may be restricted or prohibited.
Recordings can also be fitted with an expiration date.

The end of 2012 HD PLUS GmbH has introduced the Smart TV offer HD RePlay.
HD Replay allows you to view contents of the media libraries of several private TV channels via a satellite receiver with internet connection for the period of one week after broadcast TV in broadcast quality.

It is the successor of the failed entavio platform.
HD is limited to Germany, according to Astra now.

Project partners and distribution

Since 1 November 2009 Send this platform HDTV offshoot of RTL and VOX.
The HD channels Sat.1, ProSieben and kabel eins are been joined on 31 January 2010.
Since 1 November 2010, the HD channels Sport1 heard of the portfolio.
On 1 December 2010 respectively HD offshoot went from RTL II and sixx HD over on the air.
On 1 June 2011 was followed by Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, which are now also be received via HD.
On 1 July 2011, the high-resolution version of N24 was connected to .. On 18 October 2011, the identification of Tele 5 HD was launched, the station started its broadcast in HD one day later, on October 19, 2011. Began to May 1, 2012
Super RTL HD and HD DMAX.
On 17 December 2012, the music channel Deluxe Music HD was launched.
On January 17, 2014, the date on free to air Disney Channel has also been included as HD - branch in the HD offer.
On April 1, 2014 was prematurely n-tv HD, and on April 4, TLC HD broadcast.
From 16 April 2014, ProSieben and RTL HD MAXX NITRO HD to more stations to be added to the platform.

Currently a part of the program to HD is still projected, the image quality but with respect to the higher data rate and better compression techniques and in particular large-screen TVs advantages over the normal SD program are achieved.

Since the launch of the platform, the proportion of programs that are broadcast in native HD, is gradually expanded.
Almost exclusively U.S. films and U.S. series were broadcast in HD at first, even most productions are now being produced and broadcast in HD.
The major sporting events are now broadcast almost exclusively in native HD.
Stand in May 2013 beamed RTL HD, more than 90 percent of its program in native HD from .. The ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG radiates according to its spokeswoman Jasmin center Two " [ ..] a few exceptions, the entire primetime Sat1 HD, ProSieben HD,
kabel Eins HD and Sixx HD [ ... ] in native HD from. "

The purchase price of a HD satellite receiver the option is included, free of charge to receive the first 12 months of HD .
From 6 May 2014 PrePaid HD extension of 12 additional months cost 60 euros instead of 50 euros.
In addition, HD leads from May also a subscription model.
In this subscription model, the customer pays 5 euros a month, with a minimum term of 12 months.
It is used the Nagravision encryption standard.

Stations can regulate in HD recordings or completely stop.
You can every consignment

Recording block them entirely

Playback of TV recordings time limit ( between six hours and 61 days )

Stop timeshifting entirely or limit (for example, only up to 90 minutes after the end of mission )

Bind TV recordings using the individual key of the DVB- recorder to the respective device, which can not be reproduced by other devices then.
Also the recording on an external hard drive can be prevented.

Fast-forwarding (eg to suppress the advertising) to block them entirely.
This restriction is used throughout in the moment of all HD channels.

Determine whether and in what resolution (possibly downscaling on SDTV) is to be the video output from the analog output (eg SCART) and whether this is copy protection (Macrovision ) is provided, such as for HDTV broadcasts.

Of the above restrictions use all HD transmitter at the possibility to stop the fast forward during playback.
As of April 16, 2014, however, it should be possible to fast forward recorded at SAT.1 HD, ProSieben HD, kabel eins HD, sixx HD and ProSieben MAXX HD broadcasts with up to eight times the normal speed.
The function remains recorded with HD receivers broadcasts reserved for records of CI module or Sky prewinding continues to be prevented, whereby at Sky Recording is not possible in principle.
If and when further easing of the restriction shall be applied, so far is not yet clear.
The currently valid technical regulations of the HD devices, the HD PLUS GmbH on its website dar.

According to SES Astra on 2 May of 2011, so far have renewed their subscription after a free year 66 percent of all customers.
At 31 March 2011 there were 769,000 households in Germany who received the HD offer via satellite, of which 114,000 paying customers and 655,000 households in the free trial period.
Since the launch of HD on 1 November 2009 a total of 827,000 receivers were sold with HD smart card.

On February 5, 2013 announced the media magazine DWDL.de that HD after more than 3 years now has more than one million paying customers.
According to the HD PLUS GmbH HD on September 30, 2013 was 2.68 million users, of which 1.28 million paying customers.

Transition free-to -air SD broadcast to Pay HDTV model

With HD is intended to lead the audience from the free-to -air model for pay- HDTV model with low subscription fees.
"One of the Approaches we recommend is to create bundling strategies or prepay cards to tempt people into more paid-for entertainment. For example, HD in Germany is a High Definition ( HDTV) platform did offers smaller private broadcasters The Possibility of encrypting Their HD
signal and audiences transitioning from a free-to -air standard definition (SD) to a low-cost pay- HDTV model. We use a prepay card to reduce the worries about commitment. "

Technology

In order to receive a HD Receiver ( HDTV receiver, which was expanded to include additional properties) or an HD module that works in conjunction with a TV or a receiver with corresponding CI Plus interface.
These devices must be especially decrypt the encrypted with the encryption method Nagravision television signals again.
With these devices unencrypted HDTV stations are on the DVB -S and DVB- S2 standard continue to be received.
A receipt of the pay- TV provider Sky Germany programs is possible with a HD receiver and Sky CI Plus module when the HD receiver has a CI Plus interface.
However, some HD receiver via CI interface and a suitable AlphaCrypt CAM offer (module ) but this possibility.
Since June 2011, the reception of HD with Sky receivers is possible.
Then the advanced properties are required for the HDTV channels sent over the HD platform, which are not the scope of the DVB standard.
Full support of HD is possible on the current state only with special HD compatible receivers.
This must either be released directly for HD , or have a CI interface, then the new modules can be set for inserting the HD smart card in the.
At the time of launch of HD ( 2009) was a series of free-to -air HDTV receivers on the market that were not suitable for the reception of HD.
These were generally equipped with CI interface.
Some receiver manufacturers introduced a firmware update ready, could be retrofitted with the receiver.
This includes manufacturers such as Humax, Technisat and Vantage.
In addition to the firmware update, customers could CI - CAMs (modules), which are called legacy modules acquire.
Meanwhile, a list of by CI - CAMs retrofit receivers was published on the HD website.
These updates and special modules then supply among others the more stringent copy protection mechanisms by which demand the transmitter and / or rights holder for broadcasting of HDTV broadcasts.
A recording of HD channels is possible only with some upgraded in this way receivers.

HD receivers have been announced at the IFA 2009.
The Legacy modules were in the trade until October 2010.
30 June 2013, Germany had about 80 HD receiver models from over 30 brands on the market.

Receive parameters

The HD channels are currently on Astra 19.2 degrees East receivable.

Reception

HD is to receive the meantime several ways.
Since late October 2010 can be in addition to the previously available on the market HD receivers including smart card, the HD smart card for € 5 surcharge for 12-month registration fee of 50 € directly over the existing webshop relate.
At times, it was possible to received via selected TV and CI receiver HD in addition to the certified devices;
The distribution of this required HD smart cards including CI module for selected CI receiver, however, was discontinued in the spring of 2012.
Since 1 June 2011, a reception of pay TV provider Sky Germany is additionally possible.
HD is thereby enabled to existing Sky SmartCard ( NDS encryption).
Since September 2011 HD via Entertain Sat Telekom is receivable.
Through an agreement with the Association of Broadcasting and Broadband Communications ( CRC ) HD is to receive in addition, in some small and medium-sized cable networks.

HD Smart TV and HD RePlay

HD Smart TV is a new offering of HD PLUS GmbH in cooperation with various partners such as the newspaper picture, the sports magazine Kicker or the program magazine TV Movie.
As of November 2013, over 100 Apps on HD Smart TV available.
In order to use the respective apps on the TV, the receiver needs Internet access via wireless or cable.
The end of 2012, the company has established a platform for media libraries private stations in life.
With HD Replay viewers get the opportunity to contents of the media libraries of RTL, VOX, Super RTL and n-tv for the period of one week after the broadcast as often and to see to their own desired date in TV - broadcast quality.
Later this year, the offer will be extended by the media libraries of Pro Sieben, SAT.1 and kabel eins.
The cost after a free trial period to 5 EUR per month.

Criticism

The HD Plus GmbH received by the computer magazine Chip the negative award " brake of the Year 2010".

In May 2010, the Federal Cartel Office raided the RTL Group and ProSiebenSat.1 by on suspicion of unauthorized consultation and formation of a cartel in the encryption of digital programs.
In addition, stimulates also from industry increasingly critical of HD .

As announced on 15 May 2011 the Bundeskartellamt conducted in February 2011, again by a raid on the company RTL Group and ProSiebenSat.1.
It was there again to the suspicion of unauthorized consultation and formation of a cartel in the encryption of digital programs, in this case based on the encryption of programs in SD quality.
Affected by the Nachermittlungen also are also possible agreements on copy protection signals and anti- ad blocker.

A critically on the customer side of HD and CI reportable, professionally -made video was deleted by the HD Plus GmbH on YouTube due to unspecified copyright infringement.
The exact author of the video is not known, but after the deletion of the video copies of the video were from other YouTube users uploaded as a reaction again, and there was a counter displaying the video creator published.
In December 2010, RTL boss Schäferkordt informed that the normal SD television RTL group with the same restrictions as HD should be restricted.
Thus, viewers may not skip, for example, advertising in programs and films recorded.

The criticisms in detail are:

Customers are more closely tied to a pay- TV provider, as it is not possible to apply different encryptions ( twin or multi-cam ).
In order for a customer, for example,
may receive alternating Arena and Sky or ORF, SF and SkyAT, he would have to change every time the CAM.

The use of DVB receivers is compared to the current CI 1.0 standard significantly restricted (see above) Meanwhile, many of the new TV sets and DVB-S receivers have a CI interface..

With the reception of HD additional costs: an HD module including ticket costs € 79.
If a receiver manufacturer provides no software update for an existing receiver, also a new CI capable receiver is required.
Many new televisions are today, however, offered with CI interface and satellite tuner.
Continue to apply the mentioned technical limitations.

Older multi-tuner solutions that enable the parallel reception of more than one event (eg recording and television at the same time, picture-in- picture), have no sense since there is not a program can be decrypted at the same time as.

Multi-room solutions, in which (a ) a central receiver in the house the decoded TV signal or (b) a "TV Server" TV recordings via eg
a network provides multiple receivers available in house, are not possible

Meanwhile, TV recorder (eg Linux-based receiver and HTPC) on the market with which HD - channels can be received and processed.
The Dreambox is able to decrypt the transmitter by means of a HD card and corresponding Softcam and without the above-mentioned
Restrictions on use and to allow unencrypted HD recordings.
Other receivers can achieve a similar result with alternative CAMs.

In the Satvision, Issue 1/2011, the HD offering HD platform (RTL, Sat.1, ProSieben, VOX, etc.) and the pay- TV provider Sky has been verified.
HD was evaluated with this is that it is " still a long way " is to real HD broadcast.

In an interview with Sky DWDL distribution chief Ensslin was asked why Sky now but HD support and their restrictions are on what Brian Sullivan looked out of the question then.
Enßlin is playing, that the subject restrictions " over time of self- executed because of legitimate consumer pressure increases and the HD channels are not ultimately act against the wishes of their customers."